Apple unveils 17-inch MacBook Pro with 8-hour battery

Presenting at the Macworld Expo on Tuesday, Apple unveiled the new 17-inch MacBook Pro featuring a durable and precision aluminum unibody enclosure, and a revolutionary new built-in battery that delivers up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries.

"We've developed new battery technology that is better for the user and better for the environment," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. "Apple's advanced chemistry and innovative technology deliver up to eight hours of use on a full charge cycle and up to 1,000 recharges."

Apple said it uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro's design. The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment, the company said.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes an ultra-thin, widescreen glossy 1920 x 1200 display with 78 percent more pixels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 60 percent greater color gamut that delivers desktop-quality color in a notebook. The LED-backlit display has instant-on performance, uses up to 30 percent less energy and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights.

Measuring just 0.98-inches thin and weighing 6.6 pounds, Apple says the 17-inch MacBook Pro is the world's thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook. It's also the most powerful Mac notebook yet with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available up to 2.93 GHz, up to 8GB DDR3 main memory and a graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also includes a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive standard with a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 128GB and 256GB solid state drives as options. As with the rest of the new MacBook family, the 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers.

Apple also noted that the new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the aluminum unibody MacBook family in setting new standards for environmentally friendly notebooks with every model achieving EPEAT Gold status.

Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED- backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $179 which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

Pricing & Availability

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January and will be available through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), and includes:

I just realized that I can't remember the last keynote that did anything for me.

Oh, wait. The iPhone.

Horrible show...
Just a MacBook Pro?
What happened to all these new hardware coming out???

I hope these new softwares can run on our aging fleet of Mac's!

Mac mini - VERY OLD
iMac - OLD
Mac Pro - VERY OLD

They didn't even bring the prices down on these old products... Apple will give sales to PCs if they don't bring out new hardware ASAP! And if they do... THE WORLD WAS WATCHING TODAY AT MACWORLD EXPO! They should have done it with a BANG! I guess Steve (God Bless him) but his health has put a damper on Apple... That means without him Apple is in deep trouble... It's no wonder Phil did the show... All about software and one hardware - YAH!

I agree it was the worst MacWorld ever. But that may have been the point.

Apple definitely needs a refresh of these other machines and that will likely be a different launch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by italiankid

Horrible show...
Just a MacBook Pro?
What happened to all these new hardware coming out???

I hope these new softwares can run on our aging fleet of Mac's!

Mac mini - VERY OLD
iMac - OLD
Mac Pro - VERY OLD

They didn't even bring the prices down on these old products... Apple will give sales to PCs if they don't bring out new hardware ASAP! And if they do... THE WORLD WAS WATCHING TODAY AT MACWORLD EXPO! They should have done it with a BANG! I guess Steve (God Bless him) but his health has put a damper on Apple... That means without him Apple is in deep trouble... It's no wonder Phil did the show... All about software and one hardware - YAH!